 |
| |
|
|
| |
ENVIRONMENTAL
COMMITMENT |
| |
|
Costa
Rica is home to more than 5% of the planet's flora and fauna.
With the goal of participating in the protection of this
richness, COOCAFE has invested in various projects.
In
1993, the Café Forestal
Foundation was established to invest in sustainable
coffee production. In addition, Café Forestal also
promotes agro-forestry, conservation efforts, and environmental
education programs. |
COOCAFE
Environmental
Sustainability:
Acting
for Tomorrow
|
|
|
|
The
Foundation invests in activities that focus on the protection
and conservation of the communities' biodiversity, soil,
and water. It also funds environmental education and provides
training and encouragement to its members to help them convert
to sustainable coffee production.
Foundation
Café Forestal has invested over $270,000 US dollars
in a total of 85 different sustainable agriculture projects
throughout Costa Rica. Today, the Foundation focuses most
of its efforts on making coffee production sustainable and
on promoting agro-forestry projects, organic fertilizer
production, agricultural diversification, training and systematization.
|
| The
Foundation's income is generated from the contribution made
by Café Forestal
consumers as they purchase the coffee. For every kilogram
(2.2 lbs) of roasted Café Forestal coffee sold, the
Foundation receives $1 USD to put towards their projects. |
|
The main goal of the Foundation is to support productive
activities within the cooperatives that promote a
better use of natural resources, while at the same
time satisfying producers' economic needs. By focusing
on sustainable production and environmental conservation,
Cafe Forestal aims to improve the standard of living
of their associates, small, rural coffee producers
in Costa Rica. It works with members of COOCAFE’s
nine co-operatives and offers them alternatives to
conventional production methods thereby giving them
the opportunity to differentiate their product in
the international coffee market.
Since
certified sustainable coffee can earn much more than
traditional coffee, Café Forestal is helping
producers make the shift from traditional to sustainable
production. It does so by offering training programs,
promoting the principles of sustainable development,
assisting producers with the certification process
and supporting environmental projects such as agro-forestry
and organic soil.
|
|
|
 |
What
is more, on our coffee farms, we promote the use of
shade trees, because by maintaining a natural shade
canopy, farmers add natural nutrients to the soil, reduce
the use of chemicals, and create a safer environment
for fauna, especially species of native and migratory
birds. |
|
| Furthermore,
each of COOCAFE’s cooperatives
converts their coffee pulp into organic fertilizer,
which is then used by farmers to enhance their soil
conditions. |
 |
|
 |
But
COOCAFE’s environmental efforts are not limited
to its farms. For example, Coope
Montes de Oro has implemented an innovative system
for coffee drying that uses solar energy to dry the
green beans. Thanks to this process, the bean is not
affected by the extreme temperatures of conventional
ovens. Instead, the physical appearance of the bean
is improved as it dries in total harmony with nature. |
|
COOCAFE
feels very strongly abut its commitment to quality and to
the environment.
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
